Food segregating rack for refrigerator shelves



June 2, 1959 w. G. WHEELER FOOD SEGREIGATING RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR SHELVES Filed March 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. We LMAM 6-. WHEELER W W Wm ATTO 12m EYE June 2, 1959 w. G. WHEELER 2,889,054

FOOD SEIGREGATING RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR SHEJLVES Filed March 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W|LL|AM GzWHEELEQ )flum MSW 7 AT To 2N1 EYS xie harass F001) SEGREGATWG RAQK FUR REFREGERATQR EBHELVES This invention relates to a food segregating rack for use on refrigerator shelves, the primary object of the invention being to provide efficient and practical means for preventing such overcrowding of refrigerator shelves as would otherwise involve unwanted and desirable contact between food and/or food receptacles and accompanying reduced circulation of refrigerated air around such objects and throughout a refrigerator compartment as a whole.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which is of simple construction and which can be made in attractive, rugged, and serviceable forms at relatively low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a refrigerator shelf with a rack in accordance with the present invention in position thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1, showing in phantom lines food receptacles positioned in relation to the rack;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional and contracted vertical longitudinal view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig ure 1; and

Figure 4 is a similarly enlarged and contracted horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral designates a fragmentary portion of a conventional slatted refrigerator shelf which is suitably supported, as on brackets 11, on the side walls 13 of a refrigerator compartment 12. The shelf 10 comprises laterally spaced slats or bars 14 which permit free circulation of cooled air through the shelf.

The illustrated rack, indicated generally at 16, comprises a plurality of straight, parallel and coplanar cross bars 18 which are longitudinally spaced from each other and terminate at their ends in inverted U-shaped risers 30, which merge into the upper ends of laterally outwardly and downwardly divergent straight legs 22 having terminal lower ends 23. The bars or rods comprising the cross bars 18 and the legs 22 are thus of inverted U-shape.

Connected to the lower ends 23 of the legs 22 at opposite sides of the rack 16 are longitudinal side members 24. Each of the side members 24 is preferably in the form of a single rod or bar deformed to provide horizontal U- shaped foot portions, which include laterally outwardly projecting portions 42 and laterally inwardly projecting portions 44, which alternate along the lengths of the side members 24, and are at opposite sides of longitudinally aligned straight, intervening portions 46.

The straight intervening portions 46 are connected at their ends to the free ends of adjacent legs of adjacent U-shaped foot portions 42 and 44.

1 atent The lower ends 23 of the legs 22 are secured, as by welding, to the ends of the straight portions 46 near the legs of the adjacent U-shaped portions. At the ends of the rack the end legs 22 are secured to projections 25 on the longitudinally outward legs of related U-shaped portions.

The wide-bearing arrangement of the foot portions 42 and 44 of the side members 24 assure bridging of the spaces between the slats or bars 14 of a refrigerator shelf 10 in any position of the rack thereon.

The cross bars 18 define a shelf spaced above the refrigerator shelf 10, on which food or food containers 36 can be supported out of contact with and in protective relation to food or food receptacles 46 on the refrigerator shelf below the cross bars 18 and between the legs 22. The risers 30 at the ends of the cross bars 18 prevent accidental lateral displacement therefrom of objects resting upon the cross bars 18.

The rack provides for free circulation of refrigerated air therethrough and alfords greater cooling effect upon food supported on the rack and on the refrigerator shelf beneath the rack.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de scribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, as falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a refrigerator shelf having laterally spaced slots, a food segregating rack resting upon said shelf and comprising a plurality of parallel spaced elongated horizontal cross bars merging at their ends into downwardly extending legs having terminal lower ends, and longitudinal side members secured to the lower ends of the legs and spacing and connecting adjacent legs and resting upon the refrigerator shelf with said cross bars spaced above the shelf, said longiutdinal side members comprising a plurality of straight, longitudinally aligned and longitudinally intervening portions and horizontal U-shaped foot portions positioned between and secured to adjacent intervening portions, said U-shaped foot portions alternately extending from opposite sides of said intervening portions, the combined widths of U-shaped foot portions crosswise of the rack being greater than the Width of and bridging individual refrigerator shelf slots.

2. A rack comprising a plurality of parallel spaced horizontal cross bars merging at their ends into downwardly extending legs having terminal lower ends, and longitudinal side members secured to the lower ends of the legs and spacing and connecting adjacent legs, said longitudinal side members comprising straight, longitudinally aligned and longitudinally intervening portions and horizontal U-shaped foot portions positioned between and secured to adjacent intervening portions, said U-shaped foot portions alternately extending from opposite sides of said intervening portions.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,117 Burt May 2, 1905 898,828 Brown Sept. 15, 1908 1,621,465 Hammes Mar. 15, 1927 1,900,053 Glidden Mar. 7, 1933 2,076,099 Smith et al Apr. 6, 1937 2,086,118 Chadwick July 6, 1937 2,204,446 Robinson June 11, 1940 2,265,790 Young Dec. 9, 1941 

